SPOTLIGHT: AAHSFF Official Selection Filmmaker, Victoria Guillem

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As press partners with the All-American High School Film Festival, we thought it would be an awesome idea to interview a few of these talented young filmmakers whose films were chosen for the AAHSFF Official Selection. We are spotlighting these filmmakers one by one, day by day. We’re now into the second week of posting our spotlight interviews on the finalists in the AAHSFF – check out all the ones we’ve posted so far here. Find out what inspired their short film, who they aspire to be, where they see themselves in ten years, and more!

Name: Victoria Guillem
Film: Pink Noise

What inspired you the most when making your short film?

I feel very fortunate to have all of my senses and I spent a lot of time thinking about how some people are completely blocked out from certain experiences such as music or art because of their disabilities. I began to do some research and realized that there is a whole deaf culture about which I was not aware. I wanted to portray the idea that people will always find a way to make do with what they have. I found that the strongest way to show this complex idea would be through a simple story. On a deeper level I wanted to illuminate the euphoria of discovery. Consequently I built a narrative about a girl who finds a way to “hear” in an unpredictable way; showing that music and art can be accessible to anyone.

Who do you look up to or aspire to be?

I aspire to be like the Irish writer Colum McCann because his passion really shines through his work. He always writes about subjects that are important to him and that also can relate to others who have had different experiences. I admire his use of “radical empathy”. McCann writes fiction novels but he often will write from the perspective of a real person accounting real events. He has been known to be able to portray the feelings of an individual very accurately without knowing them very well at all. Some of the people he has written about – such as Philippe Petit and Senator George Mitchell – have proclaimed that McCann had written their respective stories with uncanny familiarity.

Colum McCann’s storytelling is very clear and accessible to everyone. It is never abrasive. Despite his fame from his several successful novels, this writer stays humble. His writing award simply hangs from one of his bookshelves, and he writes in an old closet in his apartment. Yet he is still quite proud of his work. He displays mementos in his home to remind himself of some of the stories he has written.

What’s your fanspiration?

Currently my fanspiration is the Japanese director Yasujirö Ozu. My favorite films of his are “Floating Weeds” and “Tokyo Story”. I admire his use of “mise en scene” and how he always uses the frame in the best way possible without exploiting too many special effects. His strong use of detail has also been particularly inspiring to me. I see his stories as a wonderful clash of simplicity and complexity. The wallpaper on my computer is a collage of stills from a few of his movies containing similar imagery. Ozu’s style is very distinct. To me, a big part of being an artist is finessing your style, establishing where you stand and determining what kind of message you want to bring to the world.

If you could remake any film, what would it be and why?

I would remake the movie “Stranger Than Fiction”. I adore Will Ferrell and I loved this movie, but only for the first 30 minutes or so. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character Ana was portrayed as a cliché known as the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”. A character known to be gorgeous, manic about life and full of wacky idiosyncrasies. She had little depth. Ana dropped out of law school to be a baker who pays some of her taxes, but not all of them. She has tattoo sleeves but she also finds it incredibly depressing that somebody might not like cookies.

I have seen this type of character used constantly in films as a device to aid the protagonist in discovering something about himself. (Ana helps protagonist Harold Crick begin to play guitar, an old childhood dream of his) They are always very flat supporting characters that can get boring to watch after a while. It represents the author’s fantasy of women who seldom exist in such trite lives. As I watched, every new detail about Ana frustrated me because it was so desperately quirky. Her character did not develop and flourish as the plot did and it was distracting to be overridden with predictable details.

Woody Allen has used a similar form of this character in films such as Annie Hall and Manhattan. In my opinion he executes his use better because the women’s so called dreaminess has to do with their unique personality and ambitions. It is a much richer experience to observe the protagonist chase a three-dimensional woman than it is to be bombarded by the plethora of ironic details used in “Stranger than Fiction” to describe Ana.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I would love to be networking, working on sets and becoming a part of the independent film community. I will be creating some of my own projects as well but also helping others bring their ideas to life. In 15 or 20 years I would like to see myself further up the ladder having directed, edited or shot a successful feature film, but I do not want to miss out on the unique process of incessant learning. I believe this comes from hard work and witnessing the fruits of your labor. I want to enjoy a portion of my life striving for my final goal without instant gratification. I am afraid that would cut off the natural learning process too early. When I do have the opportunity and resources to direct my master film I want to have years of experience, so that my film can reach its full potential.

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ABOUT AAHSFF
This year New York City is hosting the first annual ALL-AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL FILM FESTIVAL, giving students a chance to showcase their short films on the big screen. There is an All-American Basketball Game, and many similar ‘All-American High School’ competitions but nothing for film – a genre young people are embracing at breakneck speed. The festival is the brainchild of award-winning filmmaker Andrew Jenks. His films have been distributed by HBO and ESPN and his critically acclaimed documentary series, ‘World of Jenks’ is currently casting for season three. At age 16, Jenks founded a local High School Film Festival. Ten years later, his initial idea has turned into an opportunity for young filmmakers to showcase their talent. We have received nearly 1,000 amazing submissions from over 40 states as well as Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands and France.

Author: Melissa Frost

A recent college graduate from The University of Texas at Austin. Interests include but are not limited to ... film, fashion, and music. Currently working as a social media coordinator at a digital entertainment industry agency. On the weekends, works as a PA for some high-profile productions. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram!